Improved knife-cleaner



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IMPROVBD KNIFE-CLEANER.

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T0 ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be itknown that I, HENRY WOODWARD, of London, England, have invented a'certain new and improved Knife-Cleaner, which I believe may be employed to the advantage of the public; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consists of a series of jaws, two or more in number, hinged near their lower extremities, and

held or drawn tightly together at the top by a spring or an elastic 4band which encircles their upper ends, said spring or band being capable of yielding to allow a knife to be introduced between the adjacent faces of the jaws, and the said adjacent faces being faced with leather or other suitable substance as a rubbing surface; also in the combination, with said series of jaws, of a frame for holding them securely in position while in use, and a hopper or chamber in the top of said frame for holding a supply of cleaning-powder, which is fed down through holes in the bottom kof said hopper or chamber, between said jaws, when they are thrust apart by the insertion of a knife; also. iu the combination, with said jaws and said frame, of a drawer or receptacle for collecting and holding the cleaning-powder as it works out from between the jaws, which drawer may be made capable of being taken out of the frame for the purpose of emptying its-contents back into the aforesaid chamber or hopper, to be usedfagain. In the accompanying drawingsi I Figure 1 is a front eleva-tion of my improved knife-cleaning apparatus.

Figure 2 is a vertical section through the centre, parallel to the front. Figure 3 is a vertical cross-section through thc centre o1 the apparatus.

` `A A- arcthe jaws; B, the frame; C, the receptacle or chamber forcontaining the cleaning-powder; and D, the drawer. The jaws A are faced on their" adjacent sides 'by the leather facings a a, and are held together at their lower ends by the bolts b. An India-rubber band, c, encircles their tops,- and holds them snugly together, permitting them,however, to recede from each other sufficiently to allow a knife to be introduced between each two adjacent faces. The lower corners ofthe jaws are chanifered oi` on the inner or adjacent corners, at the bottom, to permit a free rocking or swinging motion of the jaws, so that they may open sufficiently at the top. They are also in like manner chamfered off at the top, forming a. V-shaped opening betweenthem, which opening serves as a guide to conduct the cleaning-powder, from the chamber C to Ithe cleaning surfaces, through the holes d d. After the cleaning-powder passes down and works out between the jaws it passes through the l holes c e into the drawer D, whence it is emptied back again into the chamber C bymeans of the hopper or tunnel E. The facings a a may be readily replaced by new ones when they become so much worn as to be ineffective. `Screw-holes f f are made in the base g of the frame, for convenience in fastening the cleaner to any article or in any position desired, and a piece of leather or other suitable substance may be fastened to`said base y, to rub the backs of the knives upon.. In thevd-rawngs such a piece of leather is indicated in red. Instead of the India-rubber band c, a spiral or other metallic spring may be used to hold the jaws A together at the top, and to make them press snugly against the knife when it is being Voperated upon, if desired, though I prefer to use the India-rubber band, as shown.

The knife-cleaner, constructed as described, is a neat, cheap, and effective implement furthe purpose for which it is made. In using it-the knife is inserted between the faces a a of two adjacent jaws, the edge toward the bolt (aand drawn backward and forward, thus scouring and cleaning it eifcctually from point to heel. l The back is cleaned by rubbing it'upon the leather or pad -shown in red.

I claim as my invention-` Y 1. In a knife-cleaner a series of jaws, pivoted at or near their lower ends, and held together at the top by a'suitable spring fastening, substantially as set forth.

. 2. The combination, withfthe jaws A, bolt b, and spring-band c, of the facings a a of leather or other suitable substance, substantially as set forth. f

3. VThe combination, with thejaws A ofi the frame B, chamber C, and holes d d, substantially as set forth.

l H. WOODWARD.

Witnesses:

M. CssTEN, JOHN WALrsns` 

